Liberty Hill Foundation Honors Dean Frank Gilliam Dean Gilliam is recipient of the Upton Sinclair Award for commitment to social justice.

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Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. received Liberty Hill Foundation’s Upton Sinclair Award given to those dedicated to advancing social justice at the 33rd annual Upton Sinclair Awards dinner on April 21.

The Liberty Hill Foundation is an organization dedicated to social advancement by funding leaders and programs that create positive environmental or social change for Los Angeles. Named after the muckraking journalist who was an activist and protested for freedom of speech, the Upton Sinclair award recognizes people who demonstrate an active commitment to social justice. Past winners include the novelist Walter Mosely, media personality Arianna Huffington, actors and activists Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.

Gilliam is recognized for his innovative work at the Luskin School, promoting strong programs, leadership and research as well as preparing students who have gone on to serve in different communities internationally.

“Liberty Hill is proud to present this year’s award to Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., Dean of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, for his work preparing a new generation of leaders to effectively serve and positively impact communities both locally and internationally,” the news release said. “His commitment to social justice is evident in his leadership of the school and its programs, positioning UCLA Luskin’s teaching and research to make significant impacts on issues of shared concern with Liberty Hill.”

Dean Gilliam has started leadership initiatives and campaigns to expand the school’s impact. Since becoming dean, the Luskin School’s research on immigration, drug policy, prison reform, inequality, environment and transportation, among other topics have been expanded to make a more profound impact in education in the Los Angeles community, leading to social, economic and environmental improvements.

As a board member and senior fellow for the FrameWorks Institute, Gilliam directed the “Framing Race in America” project and contributed research and training on other issues including health care, child development and criminal justice. Gilliam chairs the board of trustees for the Blue Shield of California Foundation, and serves on the boards of United Way of Greater Los Angeles and Southern California Grantmakers.

Gilliam’s contributions, his multitude of published books and academic journals, including “Farther to go: Readings and Cases in African-American Politics,” and several media recognitions by sources like CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post demonstrate Gilliam’s prominence and aptitude for being a leading innovator in social impact.

 

Tracy Colunga Named 2015 MSW Alumna of the Year Colunga to be honored for her tireless work in community development and safety at Social Welfare Alumni Gathering

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By Adenezy Zo

Tracy Colunga (MSW ‘01) has been named the Joseph A. Nunn Alumna of the Year for the Department of Social Welfare, an honor granted each year to an alumnus from the department at UCLA Luskin.

Tracy 2Colunga has been working tirelessly in community development and safety for the city of Long Beach since joining Development Services in 2012. As part of her current role in the Neighborhood Relations Division, Colunga oversees the Safe Long Beach Violence Prevention Plan, a program that facilitates community discussion and provides resources for creating long-term safe environments in the city. Colunga has worked to secure major grants for community safety and neighborhood livability gaps, such as the planning grant from the California Endowment which funded the Violence Prevention Plan in its first stages of development.

Beyond her work in Development Services, Colunga’s involvement with the community extends to her role on the Board of Directors with Goodwill Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County and as organizer for the annual EmpowerHER Young Women’s Empowerment Conference for girls who are in foster care, on probation, or at-risk in Long Beach. For the past eight years, Colunga also worked as a field instructor for the Luskin School and recently  taught as a part-time lecturer in the Social Work Program.

Colunga will receive her award at the Social Welfare Alumni Gathering on Saturday, May 9th at the Blue Cow Kitchen & Bar from 5:00-7:00 pm. Those interested in attending should RSVP by Thursday, May 7th.

 

Counseling, Parenting Classes Are Most Requested Services in Child Welfare System Bridget Freisthler releases research brief on her "Needs Portal" utilized by DCSF.

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By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin student writer 

Social Welfare Professor Bridget Freisthler and the UCLA Spatial Analysis Lab recently released a research brief analyzing user data for Freisthler’s “Needs Portal” program.

Freisthler and her team of doctoral students created the Needs Portal for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in order to provide an online real-time service linking case workers to agencies willing to offer requested resources. Prior to the development of this program, families involved in child welfare would receive a print brochure of available agencies, information which would quickly become outdated with any change in the listed agencies.

With the Needs Portal, caseworkers can instantly access updated information on the closest agencies, post requests for specific needs by opening “tickets”, and link families to a list of available service providers. Regardless of experience and their personal knowledge of agencies, caseworkers can now use the portal to access a database of information not widely available to social workers before.

The research brief released April 7 analyzed the Needs Portal’s usage through a census of service request tickets that were closed by February 28, 2015. The results were divided into three overall service categories: Psychosocial, Basic Needs, and Well-Being services. The results show that caseworkers made the highest number of requests for Psychosocial services through the Portal and, in turn, received the most comments from willing service providers. This stands to reason that the most traditionally recognized needs of those in the child welfare system are psychosocial.

Results from the Basic Needs category landed in the middle, with the second-highest number of requests and comments, though housing requests received a much lower number of agency responses. Case workers made the least number of requests and received the least comment responses in the Well-Being category, despite the fact that these services may offer more long-term benefits for family development and self-sufficiency.

These data results will help the pilot program continue to improve and expand in order to reach more social workers and families in the future.

The full research brief can be found here.

Freisthler’s Needs Portal project was highlighted in greater depth in the summer 2014 issue of the Luskin Forum.

 

 

Urban Planning Alumnus Leads Reform of Houston Metro System Kurt Luhrsen ('96) VP of Planning at the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County leads public transportation renovation

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By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin Student Writer 

After 30 years of operation, the Houston Metro was due for a major reevaluation of the system. Urban Planning alumnus Kurt Luhrsen (‘96), now vice president of Planning at the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, took the lead in reimagining public transportation for a rapidly growing and changing city.

“We realized the population had shifted and how we weren’t serving them well,” explained Luhrsen. “Our first goal was to reverse a long-term trend of decreasing ridership. Despite huge population and employment growths, we were seeing pretty significant losses on the local bus.”

As project manager, Luhrsen oversaw all aspects of the design process as well as public outreach efforts.

“We spent the first six to seven months working through existing conditions and developing what the goals of the project should be very publicly with the stakeholders and public,” said Luhrsen.

The main goal of the Reimagining Project was to increase efficiency and ridership on the local bus – with zero additional operating costs. This meant that only existing resources could be utilized to reroute and improve bus lines.

“Transit is not about making money, but providing access to the system and mobility to people who can’t or choose not to drive,” said Luhrsen. “How much resources you should spend driving ridership and covering as many people as possible is an important discussion to have.”

Balancing the two ends of the public transportation spectrum, coverage and frequency, was a core debate during the planning process. On one hand, lines could be designed to reach as many locations as possible while decreasing bus frequency. Alternatively, lines could be routed to frequently serve areas with the most riders, at the expense of areas with less need.

“The goal is to carry as many people as we can in the heaviest areas,” explained Luhrsen. “We really want to refocus our network on where people are living and working now.”

As of February 2015, project plans have received final board approval and are on track for implementation throughout the city in August 2015.

Though Luhrsen is contributing to major transportation improvements in Houston, he has not lost his connection with Los Angeles and the Luskin School. Luhrsen currently is a board member of the Luskin’s Institute of Transportation Studies and maintains close contact with his former faculty advisor, Professor Brian Taylor.

“He asked me to sit on the ITS board, continuing my involvement despite not living in LA. I help guide research and give feedback on research enterprises,” said Luhrsen. “My relationship [with the Luskin] continues to allow me to give back in a small way.”

 

Former Secretary of Defense Discusses Career and Current Policy Issues Leon Panetta discusses international policy at UCLA

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By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin Student Writer

Former Secretary of Defense and past CIA Director Leon Panetta spoke to a full house at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall on Monday, March 30.

Appropriately titled, “A Conversation With Leon Panetta,” the intimate atmosphere of the event gave the audience an opportunity to listen and interact with the man who ended the US military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, blocked offshore oil drilling on the West Coast, and, perhaps most memorably, directed the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. Poised comfortably on an armchair facing the audience, Panetta discussed his life, work and perspective on current policy issues in response to questions moderated by UCLA Luskin Senior Fellow Jim Newton.

Panetta opened the evening with stories from his personal life, from growing up in an immigrant family to serving in the army and eventually entering the political arena. Panetta started his political career as a legislative assistant under Republican Senator Thomas Kuchel. When asked why he switched parties, Panetta explained that at the same time he was working to implement desegregation of schools in the South as director of the Office of Civil Rights, President Nixon agreed to back down on strong civil rights enforcement in return for support from Southern Republicans.

“One day, I woke up and one of the papers in Washington had a story that I resigned [though I had not] . . . I became a Democrat soon after that,” Panetta said, garnering laughter from the audience.

The conversation soon turned towards policy, and Panetta offered his critique of the current situation in Washington.

“My greatest fear is that I see a Washington that’s dysfunctional, that’s in gridlock . . .” said Panetta. “We are a country that’s facing terrible issues – this is a time where they ought to be governing, not simply blocking things from happening.”

Panetta emphasized repeatedly that the inability of the government to make decisions about policy issues is severely hurting the country.

“The best thing you can do is to make the right decision, the next best thing is to make the wrong decision, and the worst thing is to make no decision,” Panetta said, paraphrasing Theodore Roosevelt. “You don’t allow the American people, or our security, be hurt deliberately by failing to act.”

Held as a co-presentation of the Luskin Lecture Series and the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture, Panetta’s appearance was preceded by introductory speeches from Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., and Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl and head of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. Pearl reminded the audience that this event was created to honor the life and work of his son, whose pursuit of truth in journalism led to his abduction and murder by terrorists in early 2002.

The Pearl Memorial Lecture is held annually at UCLA and Stanford in order to highlight figures who uphold Daniel Pearl’s lifelong cause to preserve truth, integrity, and transparency for all.

“Danny was a journalist in search of what is so often the first victim of war – truth,” Panetta remarked. “He is remembered as a symbol of hope . . . and his cause lives on in the Daniel Pearl Foundation.”

UCLA Luskin, the UCLA Burkle Center, UCLA Hillel, and the Daniel Pearl Foundation worked in conjunction to put on the Schoenberg Hall event. A podcast of the event is available here.

 

Nurit Katz Named MPP Alumna of 2015 Katz will be honored at the Public Policy Alumni Reception on April 23.

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By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
UCLA Luskin Student Writer

Nurit Katz (MPP ‘08) has been named 2015 alumna of the year by the department of Public Policy for her outstanding work in sustainability and support of the MPP Alumni Fellowship.

As UCLA’s first ever chief sustainability officer and newly appointed executive director of UCLA Facilities Management, Katz ensures that the university reaches its goals in all areas of sustainability by bringing campus communities together. She establishes strategies for marketing, campus awareness and other topics in campus sustainability. She is also an instructor for the Global Sustainability Certificate Program at UCLA Extension where her course, Principles of Sustainability, was named one of Los Angeles’ 10 best classes by LA Weekly in 2012.

After attending Humboldt State university for her Environmental Education undergraduate degree, she went on to obtain a Masters of Public Policy from the Luskin School of Public Affairs and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management where she was later honored as one of 100 inspirational alumna.

Katz has contributed a great deal to UCLA’s success in sustainability, initiating programs and making resources available to the UCLA community. She founded the UCLA Sustainable Resource Center with the Graduate Student Association, which provides students and faculty with sustainable resources such as a library and funding opportunities. After she became president of the Graduate Student Association, Katz helped launch an interdisciplinary certificate program, “Leaders in Sustainability” to bring different fields such as medicine, management and urban planning to work together for sustainability.

Programs such as the sustainable commuting program, which offers resources for biking, public transportation and vanpooling in the UCLA area have been successful and received awards under Katz’s term as chief sustainability officer. UCLA has also been praised for its numerous sustainability efforts in the Princeton Review Guide to 332 Green Colleges, which recognizes the university’s styrofoam ban, sustainability research and energy efficiency on campus among other accomplishments in 2014. Katz was also among 70 UCLA staff faculty and students on the UCLA Sustainability Committee to be awarded for their dedication to environmental education, research and philanthropy.

In an interview with Planet Experts last summer, Katz said UCLA has been able to decrease the average number of people driving to campus alone to 51 percent for employees and 25 percent for students, significantly less than the LA average of 74 percent during her time as chief sustainability officer.

Katz has also contributed her experience in sustainability at UCLA to external projects focused on the greater Los Angeles area, such as transit development along the Expo Light Rail Line being built from downtown LA to Santa Monica.

Katz will be honored at the UCLA Luskin Department of Public Policy Alumni Reception on April 23. The event will take place at the Japanese American National Museum from 6 – 9 p.m. Attendees are asked to RSVP by Thursday, April 16.

 

Social Welfare Students Make Impact with Internships Highlighting students interning at schools, hospitals and non-profits in honor of Social Work Month.

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By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
UCLA Luskin Student Writer

Each March, the social work community celebrates National Social Work Month and some of the amazing work that UCLA Luskin social welfare students and alumni have done. This year, the theme for National Social Work Month is “Social Work Paves the Way for Change,” intended to highlight the people and projects that have been contributing their work to create social change. Below are just a few examples of Luskin social welfare students that have been doing just that with their internships.

Social Welfare student Leena Richman is an intern contributing to the Student Health & Human Services at Berendo Middle school. Student Health & Human Services is a team of professionals that collaborate with schools and families, education service centers and communities to provide physical and mental health services to students in the Los Angeles County.

During her time as an intern at Berendo Middle School, Richman took on a variety of roles from helping with mental health services to handing out fliers to make sure students know about the services they provide.

Richman was one of three interns highlighted in the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Student Health and Human Services Newsletter in honor of Social Work Month.

“My experience as a school social work intern thus far has further ignited my passion for working within the school setting,” she said.

The executive director of the Student Health and Human Services Division, Debra Duardo, is a UCLA MSW alumna from 1996. In 2013, she was named the Joseph A. Nunn Social Welfare Alumnus of the Year.

Passionate Luskin students have also been doing work in Los Angeles at the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC).

KYCC has given first year Social Welfare students the opportunity to gain interdisciplinary experiences in areas like gang reduction and youth development by being involved in different programs at the Center. Their responsibilities vary from conducting counseling intakes and providing case management to overseeing homework clubs and assisting with policy research.

Interns are also provided with training from staff members to learn about financial literacy, grant writing and clinical supervision, giving interns a well rounded experience of what it is like to be a social worker in Los Angeles.

Eva Ray, a student intern from the Department of Social Welfare said since each student is assigned an internship outside of their comfort zone, she wasn’t sure what to expect when she started at KYCC.

“As soon as I met the staff I would be working with, though, I felt fortunate to have been placed there because everyone is so collaborative, hard-working and energetic. There is a lot of opportunity to help shape the way the program will run in the future,” she said.

Ray is part of the Prevention and Education unit and is responsible for running a workshop for middle school students about alcohol and marijuana awareness as well as building their communication skills. Since many of the students are young Black and Latino males with behavioral issues and low socioeconomic status, Ray said that she is grateful to be granted the ability to change and adapt the curriculum provided based on each student’s unique needs. Ray has enjoyed helping students gain the skills to combat the challenges that they will face in a society built to oppress them.

“I like that I am…educating (the students) on how their thoughts and feelings inform their behavior, and helping them practice mindful communication and self-reflection so that they can express themselves more effectively,” Ray said. “I enjoy getting to know each student and learning about their lives, and I love the high energy and spirit that comes when working with middle school youth.”

Two first year MSW students, Elsie Silva and Karen Ochoa, celebrated Social Work Month on March 2 by taking part in a resource fair and undergarment drive for community members. Each year, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center organizes the event — the largest resource fair to date with 32 community organizations participating — in order to provide patients and employees with information on legal aid, mental health services, child and senior services, food, financial and employment assistance, and much more.

“It is truly remarkable to witness our community unite and celebrate the field of social work by giving back to our neediest patients,” said Silva. “The social work interns were an integral part of this event by contacting and enlisting the organizations that participated while also helping on the day of the resource fair.”

“These efforts to not only honor social work month, but outreach to some of the most underserved in our city cannot be underestimated,” said Field Education faculty member Gerry Lavina.

With the passion, energy and personal care of social welfare students, the Luskin community is well represented in Los Angeles and has made a profound impact in the lives of all ages for social worker month this March.

 

Professor Donald Shoup to Retire in June The popular professor of urban planning has taught at UCLA for 41 years.

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After 41 years of teaching at UCLA, Donald Shoup, distinguished professor of Urban Planning, will retire on June 30, 2015.

Shoup is widely known as the “parking guru” whose ideas on parking policies have been implemented in cities around the world. His influential book, The High Cost of Free Parking, has led a growing number of cities to adapt new policies for parking requirements and to charge fair market prices for curb parking. Shoup’s revolutionary ideas have gained an international following of students, alumni and urban planning professionals.

Shoup has been a visiting scholar at Cambridge University and the World Bank, and has served as Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UCLA. The one-time Chair of Luskin’s Urban Planning department also serves as editor of ACCESS, a transportation magazine published by the University of California.

“I can’t think of anyone who has made more scholarly contributions to the field of parking and transportation than Donald Shoup,” said Dean Frank Gilliam. “Don’s course on parking is wildly popular and receives terrific reviews from students. We are deeply appreciative and in awe of the impact he has made here at UCLA Luskin.”

A retirement celebration honoring Shoup will be held on Saturday, May 30. More details and information on how to attend will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

The Future of Civic Leadership Luncheon held in honor of Michael Dukakis' 20th year teaching

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In honor of Gov. Michael Dukakis’ 20th year teaching at UCLA, faculty, students and friends of the School joined together for a luncheon in support of the Michael S. Dukakis Internship program.

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The setting was a picturesque private home near the Getty Center.

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Dean Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., and School benefactor Meyer Luskin welcomed guests to the event.

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 Attending were Jill Black Zalben, Joan Ashton, Stanley Black, Marvin Caesar and Dean Gilliam.

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UCLA Luskin board member Annette Shapiro and Joyce Brandman spoke with Luskin.

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Murray Pepper and UCLA Luskin board member Vicki Reynolds talked with Pat Shoup and Professor Donald Shoup.

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Jill Black Zalben, former L.A. Controller Wendy Greuel and Christine Essel, president of Southern California Grantmakers, enjoyed the afternoon.

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Former L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Professor Martin Wachs, Meyer Luskin, Professor Donald Shoup and Bob Wilson took in the view.

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California Assembly members Jimmy Gomez and Matt Dababneh mugged for the camera.

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Frank Lopez MPP ’10, KCRW host Steve Chiotakis and Melissa Peraza.

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Christine and Jordan Kaplan chatted with Renee Luskin.

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Public Policy student and Dukakis Internship recipient Nelson Esparza spoke with Veronica Melvin MPP ’01 and Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey MPP ’99.

UCLA Team Advances To Final Round of HUD Design Competition UCLA Urban Planning team competes for HUD Design Competition

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By Adeney Zo
UCLA Luskin Student Writer

A team composed of UCLA Luskin and Architecture students find themselves in the finalist round of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s design competition.

The HUD hosts an annual design and planning competition with the goal of encouraging creativity and interdisciplinary innovation while designing financially affordable housing. Participants in this year’s competition were given the challenge of either renovating or reconstructing a senior housing high-rise built in 1971. The UCLA team opted to rehab the building, adding features such as a rooftop community garden and digital literacy intergenerational programming.

“We offer an innovative design that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. We also wanted a design where people could interact with each other easily, especially among different generations,” Edith Medina Huarita (MPP ‘15) explained. “For example, one of our design features is a space where residents of the retirement community could meet with children from local schools to learn to use computers and other digital media.”

Huarita, who was also part of the first place team in the recent Net Impact Consulting Challenge, found that this competition challenged a different set of skills. “Participating in another competition motivates me and the opportunity to engage with housing experts excites me.” said Huarita. “The differences in the competitions also develop different skills. The HUD design competition challenged my creativity because we developed the project from scratch.”

Come April, team members Laura Krawczyk (MURP ‘15), Edith Medina Huarita (MPP ‘15), Precy Agtarap (MURP ‘15), John Whitcomb, and Luis Ochoa will travel to Washington D.C. to make their final design presentation. The competition jury will then determine the first place team ($20,000 prize) and the runner-up ($10,000 prize).